Chickpea: A Little Mediterranean Getaway

In sad celebration of my intern's last day, some colleagues and I took her out to lunch. At the request of a friend/colleague, we went to the new Mediterranean getaway: Chickpea.

My go-to Mediterranean place has always been Sultan's Market (the Wicker Park location). But as you know, while the food at Sultan's is amazing, the restaurant is somewhat small and parking can be tricky but it's a trade off for the eye candy who we affectionately named "Beirut."

Located near Chicago and Damen Avenue, finding parking on Chicago Avenue was fairly easy to do. Because it is so new, it doesn't have a sign yet so we just went in assuming that it had to be it. The decor is a mixture of Middle Eastern fixtures and retro movie/comic book posters. Interesting combination.

When we walked in, we were slightly confused because no one was there to show us to a table. The host told us we could sit where we liked and came over shortly thereafter to give us the lowdown: Chickpea is designed to be somewhat like your home, no waiters or waitresses because they want you to feel like a part of the process. You order at the counter, grab your silverware and beverage and reseat yourself.

Prices were not exorbitant and quite reasonable, approximately $10 per person. The menu contains a statement that says that the food is prepared by the owner's mother. We wondered if there really was a little Mediterranean lady in the kitchen cooking all of this food or was there a chef just making the food according to her recipes. Although we did not see her, my friend that had gone there before confirmed that in fact, his mother is the cook and she is the one that makes all of the food. Amazing!!!

The food was incredibly fresh with very crisp flavors. I ordered the Mufta sandwich which has beef and lamb, roasted vegetables and hummus. It was extremely good! However, when I tried to order a falafel on the side, to my disappointment they told me that they don't sell them a la carte (although they do at Sultan's). We ordered the falafel platter and shared it. The platter came with 6 falafel and a duo of sauces that were quite good. The hummus was wonderfully fresh and creamy. The only other disappointment was the lentil soup that my colleague ordered.

Of additional interest is the bathtub in the washroom - a clear indicator that the space was an apartment that was built into a restaurant. All in all, it was a great experience. I will definitely go back and I wish them luck!

Correction: They do have a sign - it was on the ground written in chalk. We noticed it when we left. I tried to take a picture but I couldn't capture it without casting a shadow over it.